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Adam M Croom
  • Department of Cognitive Science
    Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center 402
    Case Western Reserve University
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Adam M Croom

Case Western Reserve University, Cognitive Science, Faculty Member
Publications
The physiological and morphological benefits of shadowboxingmore
by Adam M Croom
Is shadowboxing an effective form of functional exercise? What physiological and morphological changes result from an exercise program based exclusively on shadowboxing for 3 weeks? To date, no empirical research has focused specifically... more
Is shadowboxing an effective form of functional exercise? What physiological and morphological changes result from an exercise program based exclusively on shadowboxing for 3 weeks? To date, no empirical research has focused specifically on addressing these questions. Since mixed martial arts (MMA) is the fastest growing sport in the world, and since boxing and kickboxing fitness classes are among the most popular in gyms and fitness clubs worldwide, the lack of research on shadowboxing and martial arts-based fitness programs in the extant literature is a shortcoming that the present article aims to address. This case study involved a previously sedentary individual engaging in an exercise program based exclusively on shadowboxing for 3 weeks. Body composition and heart rate data were collected before, throughout, and upon completion of the 3-week exercise program to determine the effectiveness of shadowboxing for functional fitness purposes. An original shadowboxing program prepared by an Everlast Master Instructor and NASM Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM-PES) was used for this 3-week period. The original shadowboxing program with goals, techniques, and combinations to work on throughout the 3-week program is included in this article. This case study demonstrates that a 3-week exercise program based exclusively on shadowboxing can increase aerobic capacity, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolic rate, and daily calorie intake, and decrease resting heart rate, fat mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat rating in a previously sedentary individual. The results of this research demonstrate that shadowboxing can be a safe and effective form of exercise leading to morphological and physiological improvements including fat loss and increased aerobic capacity. The results of this research also demonstrate that the Tanita BC-1500 is a reliable tool for individuals to evaluate their own fitness progress over time.

Croom, A. M. (2023). The physiological and morphological benefits of shadowboxing. International Journal of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports, 12, 8-29. https://doi.org/10.54392/ijpefs2322
DOI: 10.54392/ijpefs2322
Volume: 12
Page Numbers: 8-29
Publication Date: 2023
Publication Name: International Journal of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports
Research Interests:
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The impact of shadowboxing on the psychological well-being of professional martial artistsmore
by Adam M Croom
Does martial arts practice contribute to psychological well-being in professional martial artists? If so, what are the specific ways that martial arts practice accomplishes this? It has been a long-standing and widely held belief that... more
Does martial arts practice contribute to psychological well-being in professional martial artists? If so, what are the specific ways that martial arts practice accomplishes this? It has been a long-standing and widely held belief that martial arts practice can contribute to psychological well-being, however, there has been a lack of empirical research in the psychological literature focused on investigating the details of this hypothesis. The purpose of this research is therefore to investigate the impact of a paradigmatic martial arts practice — shadowboxing — on the psychological well-being of professional martial artists. In this article I present the results from an original empirical study on professional Muay Thai practitioners (n= 14) that reveals how a martial arts practice (shadowboxing) contributes to their overall psychological well-being by contributing to their positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. I present general results for how shadowboxing contributes to the psychological well-being of these professional martial artists overall, as well as more specific results for how shadowboxing contributes to the psychological well-being of these professional martial artists based on factors such as their gender, fight experience, and training location. This article also provides qualitative first-person reports from professional Muay Thai practitioners (n = 14) about their use of visualization and mental imagery and their experience of flow while shadowboxing, offering unique insight into the minds of professional martial artists as they are actively engaged in their craft. Finally, this article discusses the value and limitations of the present study and outlines suggestions for future research.

Croom, A. M. (2023). The impact of shadowboxing on the psychological well-being of professional martial artists. Discover Psychology, 3, 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-023-00064-8
DOI: 10.1007/s44202-023-00064-8
Volume: 3
Page Numbers: 4
Publication Date: 2023
Publication Name: Discover Psychology
Research Interests:
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The syntax, semantics, and cognition of musical compositionsmore
by Adam M Croom
How do humans generate novel yet well-formed sentences and songs? It is truly remarkable that humans are endowed with the ability to speak and sign new sentences, formulate and think new thoughts, and compose and perform new and beautiful... more
How do humans generate novel yet well-formed sentences and songs? It is truly remarkable that humans are endowed with the ability to speak and sign new sentences, formulate and think new thoughts, and compose and perform new and beautiful works of art. What are the neural and cognitive mechanisms that help make these marvelous aspects of human life possible? The purpose of this article is to address this question and shed light on our uniquely productive linguistic and musical abilities by providing an integrative review of the syntax, semantics, and cognition of linguistic and musical compositions. More specifically, this article accomplishes 7 main goals by (1) providing analyses and tree diagrams for the English sentences "Snow in winter falls slowly from the sky" and "Is the Joker laughing?" to highlight the hierarchical structure of these linguistic compositions (sentences) in particular and linguistic compositions more generally (§2), (2) providing an analysis and tree diagram for the popular song "Happy Birthday" (1983) to highlight the hierarchical structure of this musical composition in particular and musical compositions more generally (§3), (3) providing a discussion of linguistic and musical meaning and explaining how natural language and musical compositions can acquire meaning (semantics) through consistent and conventional use in certain sociocultural contexts (§3), (4) providing a review of behavioral research on semantics in language and music, focusing especially on the action-sentence and action-score compatibility effects (§4), (5) providing a review of electrophysiological (EEG) research on syntax and semantics in language and music, focusing especially on the ERAN, LAN, N400, and P600 (§5), (6) providing a review of functional neuroimaging (fMRI) and electrical stimulation mapping (ESM) research on language and music (§6), and (7) providing a review of several integrated models of language and music processing (§7). By accomplishing these 7 goals, this article offers valuable insight into the systematic, productive, and grounded nature of our linguistic and musical minds. Since understanding the syntax and semantics of language will be helpful in understanding the syntax and semantics of music, this article will briefly review relevant linguistic examples first before moving on to review musical examples.
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Muay Thai, psychological well-being, and cultivation of combat-relevant affordancesmore
by Adam M Croom
Some philosophers argue that martial arts training is maladaptive, contributes to psychological illness, and provides a social harm, whereas others argue that martial arts training is adaptive, contributes to psychological wellness, and... more
Some philosophers argue that martial arts training is maladaptive, contributes to psychological illness, and provides a social harm, whereas others argue that martial arts training is adaptive, contributes to psychological wellness, and provides a social benefit. This debate is important to scholars and the general public since beliefs about martial arts training can have a real impact on how we evaluate martial artists for job opportunities and career advancement, and in general, how we treat martial artists from different cultures in our communities. This debate is also important for children and adults that have considered enrolling in martial arts training programs but remain uncertain about potential outcomes of training due to the lack of research in this area. This article therefore contributes to the literature on martial arts by (1) outlining a framework that characterizes psychological well-being in terms of five elements, (2) discussing how results from empirical research support the hypothesis that Muay Thai training can contribute to psychological well-being by contributing to all five component elements, (3) discussing the psychological benefits of martial arts training from the perspective of an Everlast Master Instructor, and (4) discussing how martial arts training involves the cultivation of combat-relevant affordances.

Croom, A. M. (2022). Muay Thai, psychological well-being, and cultivation of combat-relevant affordances. Philosophies, 7, 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7030065 |
https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/3/65 |
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies/special_issues/martial_arts |
DOI: 10.3390/PHILOSOPHIES7030065
Volume: 7
Page Numbers: 65
Publication Date: 2022
Publication Name: Philosophies
Research Interests:
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Philosophies CFP The Philosophy and Science of Martial Artsmore
by Adam M Croom
The martial arts have been practiced for thousands of years and today mixed martial arts remains the fastest growing sport in the world. I am delighted to invite you to submit your best empirical and theoretical work on martial arts to... more
The martial arts have been practiced for thousands of years and today mixed martial arts remains the fastest growing sport in the world. I am delighted to invite you to submit your best empirical and theoretical work on martial arts to this special issue. The goal for this special issue is to showcase exemplary work on martial arts from multiple disciplinary perspectives. For example, philosophers of mind and ethics may submit work on martial arts and the cultivation of virtues, and experimental philosophers and psychologists may submit work on the influence of martial arts on psychological well-being. Other topics of interest include the use of mental simulation during shadowboxing, flow experience during training or competition, weapons as extensions of the self, qualities of exemplary martial artists, the ethics and aesthetics of martial arts, and in general, what the study of martial arts may reveal about the nature of the human mind and human society. Integrative review articles, focused philosophical arguments, and original empirical research that is philosophically relevant will all be warmly received.

Reach out to Adam at croom@berkeley.edu with any questions about this SI.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies/special_issues/martial_arts |

Articles published in this special issue:
Croom, A. M. (2022). Muay Thai, psychological well-being, and cultivation of combat-relevant affordances. Philosophies, 7, 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7030065 |
Cynarski, W. J. (2022). New concepts of Budo internalised as a philosophy of life. Philosophies, 7, 110. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7050110 |
Holt, J. (2023). Physical philosophy: Martial arts as embodied wisdom. Philosophies, 8, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies8010014 |
Publication Date: 2023
Publication Name: Philosophies
Research Interests:
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Slurs: The Semantics, Pragmatics, and Cognition of Derogation and Appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
My newest book length analysis of slurs.
Research Interests:
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Asian slurs and stereotypes in the USA: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
Slurs such as chink and gook are linguistic expressions that are primarily used to derogate certain group members for their descriptive attributes (such as their ethnicity) and are often considered the most offensive of expressions.... more
Slurs such as chink and gook are linguistic expressions that are primarily used to derogate certain group members for their descriptive attributes (such as their ethnicity) and are often considered the most offensive of expressions. Recent work on the semantics and pragmatics of slurs has illuminated several important facts regarding their meaning and use – including that slurs are commonly understood to felicitously apply towards some targets yet not others, that slurs are among the most potentially offensive expressions afforded by natural language, and that slurs are often flexibly employed and of potential use, not only derogatorily to convey offense towards out-group members, but also non-derogatorily to convey affiliation with in-group members or to diminish the derogatory force that the slur is typically understood to carry. Nonetheless, prior scholarship has unfortunately restricted itself primarily to considerations of slurs that typically tar- get members of other groups. Since no account of slurs for Asian Americans has so far been proposed, the aim of this article is therefore to provide the first systematic and empirically informed analysis of slurs for Asian Americans that accounts for both their derogatory and appropriative (non-derogatory) use.

https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.14027.cro
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2018
DOI: 10.1075/ps.14027.cro
Volume: 9
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2018). Asian slurs and stereotypes in the USA: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriation. Pragmatics and Society, 9, 495-517.
Page Numbers: 495-517
Publication Date: 2018
Publication Name: Pragmatics and Society
Research Interests:
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Some equalities are more equal than others: Quality equality emerges later than numerical equalitymore
by Adam M Croom and Mark Sheskin
By age 6, children typically share an equal number of resources between themselves and others. However, fairness involves not merely that each person receive an equal number of resources ("numerical equality") but also that each person... more
By age 6, children typically share an equal number of resources between themselves and others. However, fairness involves not merely that each person receive an equal number of resources ("numerical equality") but also that each person receive equal quality resources ("quality equality"). In Study 1, children (N = 87, 3–10 years) typically split four resources "two each" by age 6, but typically monopolized the better two resources until age 10. In Study 2, a new group of 6-to 8-year-olds (N = 32) allocated resources to third parties according to quality equality, indicating that children in this age group understand that fairness requires both types of equality.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12544
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2016
DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12544
Volume: 87
Page Numbers: 1520-1528
Publication Date: 2016
Publication Name: Child Development
Research Interests:
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An introduction to the special issue on slursmore
by Adam M Croom
Welcome to this special issue of Language Sciences on slurs. The collection in this issue consists of 21 original research articles from seasoned scholars and exceptional students across the humanities and social sciences. These scholars... more
Welcome to this special issue of Language Sciences on slurs. The collection in this issue consists of 21 original research articles from seasoned scholars and exceptional students across the humanities and social sciences. These scholars come from backgrounds in linguistics, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, and here they investigate the use of slurs in a variety of natural languages, including English, Croatian, Hebrew, Korean, and Portuguese.

The topic of focus for this special issue has not only remained controversial and relatively unexplored in academic publications, but has also largely been discussed in published work by privileged groups that lack practical experience of the variety of ways that slurs are actually used in contemporary life. This has resulted in mostly unseasoned speculations and one-sided discussions about slurs that do not offer genuine insight into the various ways that they are actually used and that does not help advance further research on the topic. Peer-review and citation practices in philosophy have been especially poor, leaving many minority groups without voice or proper credit for their original work. So with an opportunity to edit this special issue on slurs I felt it important to include contributions from a wide variety of demographics and disciplinary perspectives, and that each article be carefully peer-reviewed by an average of three anonymous reviewers. Scholars from different disciplines were encouraged to read widely, become familiar with each other’s work, and cite appropriately. This required an incredible effort and much patience from all involved, including authors, reviewers, and editors. But as a result this special issue provides a uniquely rigorous and interdisciplinary collection of articles from a wide variety of perspectives on a timely issue that has for far too long been neglected.

The aim for this special issue is not only to enrich our understanding of the meaning and use of slurs in natural language more specifically, but to further broaden our understanding of the meaning and use of natural language more generally by carefully considering, for instance, how language can carry such affective force, involve stereotypes of typical targets, and be used derogatorily or non-derogatorily depending upon the context and agents involved. The articles included in this collection explore these issues and much more, presenting new empirical findings and critical discussion that is sure to advance further fruitful work in the field.

I am honored to have the opportunity to provide a high quality and inclusive forum for discussion on slurs that will be of interest to lay readers, students, and seasoned scholars alike, and sincerely thank everyone involved for their thoughtful contributions to this special issue.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2015.08.001
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015i
DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2015.08.001
Volume: 52
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). An introduction to the special issue on slurs. Language Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2015.08.001
Page Numbers: 1-2
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Language Sciences
Research Interests:
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Slurs, stereotypes, and in-equality: A critical review of “How Epithets and Stereotypes are Racially Unequal”more
by Adam M Croom
Are racial slurs always offensive and are racial stereotypes always negative? How, if at all, are racial slurs and stereotypes different and unequal for members of different races? Questions like these and others about slurs and... more
Are racial slurs always offensive and are racial stereotypes always negative? How, if at all, are racial slurs and stereotypes different and unequal for members of different races? Questions like these and others about slurs and stereotypes have been the focus of much research and hot debate lately, and in a recent article Embrick and Henricks (2013) aimed to address some of the aforementioned questions by investigating the use of racial slurs and stereotypes in the workplace. Embrick and Henricks (2013) drew upon the empirical data they collected at a baked goods company in the southwestern United States to argue that racial slurs and stereotypes function as symbolic resources that exclude minorities but not whites from opportunities or resources and that racial slurs and stereotypes are necessarily considered as negative or derogatory irrespective of their particular context of use (pp. 197–202). They thus proposed an account of slurs and stereotypes that supports the context-insensitive position of Fitten (1993) and Hedger (2013) yet challenges the context-sensitive position of Kennedy (2002) and Croom (2011). In this article I explicate the account of racial slurs and stereotypes provided by Embrick and Henricks (2013), outline 8 of their main claims, and then critically evaluate these claims by drawing upon recent empirical evidence on racial slurs (both in-group and out-group uses) and stereotypes (for both whites and blacks) to point out both strengths and weaknesses of their analysis. Implications of the present analysis for future work on slurs and stereotypes will also be discussed.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2014.03.001
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015a
DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2014.03.001
Volume: 52
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Slurs, stereotypes, and in-equality: A critical review of "How Epithets and Stereotypes are Racially Unequal". Language Sciences.
Page Numbers: 139-154
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Language Sciences
Research Interests:
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Slurs and stereotypes for Italian-Americans: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
Recent research on the semantics and pragmatics of slurs has offered insight into several important facts concerning their meaning and use. However, prior work has unfortunately been restricted primarily to considerations of slurs that... more
Recent research on the semantics and pragmatics of slurs has offered insight into several important facts concerning their meaning and use. However, prior work has unfortunately been restricted primarily to considerations of slurs that typically target females, homosexuals, and African Americans. This is problematic because such a narrowly focused attention to slurs in prior work has left theorizing of how slurs generally function relatively uninformed by facts of actual language use. As a result, theoretical accounts of slurs that have so far been proposed have largely failed to accurately reflect actual usage, account for the empirical findings about slurs and general pejoratives from the social sciences, and offer any informative predictions to help guide future research. At this time more empirically oriented homework on the variety of ways that different slurs have been used in different cases would be helpful for theorists to consider so that they can proceed to develop more nuanced and empirically informed theories about slurs, their usage, and their effects. Accordingly, since no account of slurs for Italian Americans has so far been offered, this article provides a systematic and empirically informed analysis of slurs for Italian Americans that accounts for both their derogatory and appropriative use. Further, this article demonstrates that the family resemblance account of slurs maintained here has major advantages over previous accounts insofar as it is flexible yet robust enough to accommodate both the derogatory and appropriative use of slurs, can explain many of the psychological effects that slurs actually have on both their users and targets, and is more in accord with the real rather than ideal nature of our organic human psychology.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2015.03.014
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015f
DOI: 10.1016/j.pragma.2015.03.014
Volume: 81
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). Slurs and stereotypes for Italian-Americans: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriation. Journal of Pragmatics: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Language Studies, 81, 36-51.
Page Numbers: 36-51
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Journal of Pragmatics
Research Interests:
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The semantics of slurs: A refutation of coreferentialismmore
by Adam M Croom
Coreferentialism refers to the common assumption in the literature that slurs (e.g. faggot) and descriptors (e.g. male homosexual) are coreferential expressions with precisely the same extension. For instance, Vallee (2014) recently... more
Coreferentialism refers to the common assumption in the literature that slurs (e.g. faggot) and descriptors (e.g. male homosexual) are coreferential expressions with precisely the same extension. For instance, Vallee (2014) recently writes that “If S is an ethnic slur in language L, then there is a non-derogatory expression G in L such that G and S have the same extension” (p. 79). The non-derogatory expression G is commonly considered the nonpejorative correlate (NPC) of the slur expression S (Hom 2008) and it is widely thought that every S has a coreferring G that possesses precisely the same extension. Yet here I argue against this widespread assumption by first briefly introducing what slurs are and then considering four sources of supporting evidence showing that slurs and descriptors are in fact not coreferential expressions with precisely the same extension. I argue that since slurs and descriptors differ in their extension they thereby differ in their meaning or content also. This article additionally introduces the notion of a conceptual anchor in order to adequately account for the relationship between slurs and descriptors actually evidenced in the empirical data, and further considers the inadequacy of common dictionary definitions of slurs. This article therefore contributes to the literature on slurs by demonstrating that previous accounts operating on the assumption that slurs and descriptors are coreferential expressions with the same extension, and that they thereby have the same meaning or content, are inconsistent with empirical data and that an alternative account in accord with Croom (2011, 2013a, 2014b) better fits the facts concerning their actual meaning and use.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2015.01.001
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015e
DOI: 10.1016/j.amper.2015.01.001
Volume: 2
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). The semantics of slurs: A refutation of coreferentialism. Ampersand: An International Journal of General and Applied Linguistics, 2, 30-38.
Page Numbers: 30-38
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Ampersand
Research Interests:
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Music practice and participation for psychological well-being: A review of how music influences positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishmentmore
by Adam M Croom
In “Flourish,” Martin Seligman maintained that the elements of well-being consist of “PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.” Although the question of what constitutes human flourishing or... more
In “Flourish,” Martin Seligman maintained that the elements of well-being consist of “PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.” Although the question of what constitutes human flourishing or psychological well-being has remained a topic of continued debate among scholars, it has recently been argued in the literature that a paradigmatic or prototypical case of human psychological well-being would largely manifest most or all of the aforementioned PERMA factors. Further, in “A Neuroscientific Perspective on Music Therapy,” Stefan Koelsch also suggested that “Music therapy can have effects that improve the psychological and physiological health of individuals,” so it seems plausible that engaging in practices of music can positively contribute to one living a more optimally flourishing life with greater psychological well-being. However, recent studies on music practice and participation have not yet been reviewed and integrated under the PERMA framework from positive psychology to further explore and explicate this possibility. This article therefore contributes to extant work by reviewing recent research on psychological well-being and music to offer support for the claim that music practice and participation can positively contribute to one living a flourishing life by positively influencing their emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864914561709
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015c
DOI: 10.1177/1029864914561709
Volume: 19
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). Music practice and participation for psychological well-being: A review of how music influences positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Musicae Scientiae, 19, 44-64.
Page Numbers: 44-64
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Musicae Scientiae
Research Interests:
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The practice of poetry and the psychology of well-beingmore
by Adam M Croom
In “Flourish,” the psychologist Martin Seligman proposed that psychological well-being consists of “PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.” Although the question of what constitutes flourishing or... more
In “Flourish,” the psychologist Martin Seligman proposed that psychological well-being consists of “PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.” Although the question of what constitutes flourishing or psychological well-being has been long debated among scholars, the recent literature has suggested that a paradigmatic or prototypical case of psychological well-being would manifest most or all of the aforementioned PERMA factors. The recent literature on poetry therapy has also suggested that poetry practice may be utilized as “an effective therapeutic tool” for patients suffering from a variety of ailments so it seems plausible that practicing poetry can positively contribute to one flourishing with greater psychological well-being. However, recent studies on poetry therapy have not yet been reviewed and integrated under the PERMA framework from positive psychology to further explore and explicate this possibility. This article therefore contributes to extant work by reviewing recent research on poetry therapy and psychological well-being and offering support for the claim that practicing poetry can positively contribute to one flourishing with greater psychological well-being by positively influencing their emotions, engagement or “flow” experiences, social relationships, sense of meaning or purpose in life, and personal accomplishments.

https://doi.org/10.1080/08893675.2015.980133
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015b
DOI: 10.1080/08893675.2015.980133
Volume: 28
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). The practice of poetry and the psychology of well-being. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 28, 21-41.
Page Numbers: 21-41
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Journal of Poetry Therapy
Research Interests:
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The importance of poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy for an enlisted aviator in the USAF (2000-2004) flying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedommore
by Adam M Croom
This special issue of Journal of Poetry Therapy focuses on the use of poetry and other forms of expressive writing to explore the transformative experiences of military veterans, and so in this article I discuss how the use of poetry,... more
This special issue of Journal of Poetry Therapy focuses on the use of poetry and other forms of expressive writing to explore the transformative experiences of military veterans, and so in this article I discuss how the use of poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy positively influenced my life while I was serving in the United States Air Force (USAF) from 2000 through 2004. This article briefly reviews my reasons for enlisting and discusses the importance that poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy had for me during four different phases of my military history: (i) Basic Military Training, (ii) Aircraft Qualification, Combat Survival, and Water Survival Training, (iii) serving in the post 9/11 operations Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and (iv) the period after fulfilling my time of service for the USAF. In discussing each phase, I explain the unique challenges that I encountered, how I used poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy to successfully overcome these challenges, point out relevant examples of poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy that were particularly influential, and include pictures of my experiences throughout.

https://doi.org/10.1080/08893675.2015.1008732
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015d
DOI: 10.1080/08893675.2015.1008732
Volume: 28
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). The importance of poetry, hip-hop, and philosophy for an enlisted aviator in the USAF (2000-2004) flying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 28, 73-97.
Page Numbers: 73-97
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Journal of Poetry Therapy
Research Interests:
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Aristotelian moral psychology and the situationist challengemore
by Adam M Croom
For some time now moral psychologists and philosophers have ganged up on Aristotelians, arguing that results from psychological studies on the role of character-based and situation-based influences on human behavior have convincingly... more
For some time now moral psychologists and philosophers have ganged up on Aristotelians, arguing that results from psychological studies on the role of character-based and situation-based influences on human behavior have convincingly shown that situations rather than personal characteristics determine human behavior. In the literature on moral psychology and philosophy this challenge is commonly called the “situationist challenge,” and as Prinz (2009) has previously explained, it has largely been based on results from four salient studies in social psychology, including the studies conducted by Hartshorne and May (1928), Milgram (1963), Isen and Levin (1972), and Darley and Batson (1973). The situationist challenge maintains that each of these studies seriously challenges the plausibility of virtuous personal characteristics by challenging the plausibility of personal characteristics more generally. In this article I undermine the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology by carefully considering major problems with the conclusions that situationists have drawn from the empirical data, and by further challenging the accuracy of their characterization of the Aristotelian view. In fact I show that when properly understood the Aristotelian view is not only consistent with empirical data from developmental science but can also offer important insights for integrating moral psychology with its biological roots in our natural and social life.

https://doi.org/10.1515/ppb-2015-0011
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015g
DOI: 10.1515/ppb-2015-0011
Volume: 46
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). Aristotelian moral psychology and the situationist challenge. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 46, 262-277.
Page Numbers: 262–277
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Polish Psychological Bulletin
Research Interests:
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An assessment of the negative and positive aspects of stereotypes and the derogatory and nonderogatory uses of slursmore
by Adam M Croom
In a recent study on indirect reports published in Journal of Pragmatics, Capone (2010) points out how several leading pragmatic theorists have recently argued that utterance interpretation incorporates societal information such that the... more
In a recent study on indirect reports published in Journal of Pragmatics, Capone (2010) points out how several leading pragmatic theorists have recently argued that utterance interpretation incorporates societal information such that the final result of semantic and pragmatic interpretation takes sociocultural defaults into account (e.g., Jaszczolt, 2005a). Croom (2013) for one has pointed out how different in-group and out-group speakers have in fact used slurs in different ways, and further suggests that several salient cultural markers can aid in the interpretation of whether a slur is being used derogatorily or nonderogatorily in a given context (p. 200). Thus, for pragmatic theorists concerned with the semantics and pragmatics of slurs more specifically, several highly important yet currently unexplored questions include the following: Are racial slurs always used to express offense, and are racial stereotypes always concerned with negative characteristics? How might the stereotypical features of members that a slur typically targets influence the meaning that slur communicates in context, and how might racial slurs and stereotypes differentially affect members of different races? Concerned with such questions, Embrick and Henricks (2013) recently argued that racial slurs and stereotypes function as symbolic resources that exclude nonwhite or non-European American minorities, but not whites or European Americans, from opportunities or resources, and so are necessarily negative or derogatory irrespective of the particular context of their use (pp. 197–202). They accordingly advocate an account of racial slurs and stereotypes that is consonant with the context-insensitive accounts of Fitten (1993) and Hedger (2013), yet dissonant with the context-sensitive accounts of Kennedy (2002) and Croom (2011). The purpose of this chapter is to first briefly explicate the context-insensitive and context-sensitive accounts of racial slurs and stereotypes, consider reasons for why issues concerning the semantics and pragmatics of slurs have often appealed to stereotypes and stereotypical features, and then critically evaluate the main claims that Embrick and Henricks (2013) recently proposed in support of their context-insensitive account by drawing upon empirical evidence on (in-group and out-group uses of) racial slurs and stereotypes (for European Americans and ­African Americans) from recent research in linguistics, sociology, and psychology. The chapter concludes by discussing implications of the present findings for future work in pragmatics on racial slurs and stereotypes.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12616-6_31
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2015h
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-12616-6_31
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2015). An assessment of the negative and positive aspects of stereotypes and the derogatory and nonderogatory uses of slurs. In A. Capone & J. L. Mey (eds.), Interdisciplinary Studies in Pragmatics, Culture and Society (791-822). Dordrecht: Springer.
Page Numbers: 791-822
Publication Date: 2015
Publication Name: Interdisciplinary Studies in Pragmatics, Culture and Society
Research Interests:
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Spanish slurs and stereotypes for Mexican-Americans in the USA: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
Slurs such as spic, slut, wetback, and whore are linguistic expressions that are primarily understood to derogate certain group members on the basis of their descriptive attributes (such as their race or sex) and expressions of this kind... more
Slurs such as spic, slut, wetback, and whore are linguistic expressions that are primarily understood to derogate certain group members on the basis of their descriptive attributes (such as their race or sex) and expressions of this kind have been considered to pack some of the nastiest punches natural language affords. Although prior scholarship on slurs has uncovered several important facts concerning their meaning and use – including that slurs are potentially offensive, are felicitously applied towards some targets yet not others, and are often flexibly used not only derogatorily to convey offense towards out-group members but also non-derogatorily to convey affiliation with in- group members – the literature remains largely focused on slurs that typically target African Americans (nigger), male homosexuals (faggot), and sexually active females (slut). Since no account of slurs that typically target Hispanics or Mexican-Americans has so far been proposed, here I offer the first systematic and empirically informed analysis of these that accounts for both their derogatory and appropriative use. Importantly, this article reviews over a dozen Spanish stereotypes and slurs and explains how the descriptive attributes involved in a stereotype associated with a slur can contribute to the predication of certain content in the application of that slur toward its target in context. This article further explains how the psychological effects of stereotype threat and stereotype lift can be initiated through the application of a relevant slur towards its target in context as well. [RESUMEN] Las expresiones peyorativas tales como spic (‘spic’), slut (‘zorra’), wetback (‘espalda mojada’) y whore (‘puta’) son expresiones lingüísticas que se entienden principalmente para minusvalorar ciertos miembros de un grupo sobre la base de sus atributos descriptivos (como la raza o el sexo). Se ha considerado que las expresiones de este tipo conllevan algunos de los puñetazos más desagradables que el lenguaje natural puede proporcionar. Aunque la literatura especializada sobre expresiones peyorativas ha descubierto varios hechos importantes en cuanto a significado y uso –entre los que se incluyen que tales expresiones son potencialmente ofensivas, apuntan efectivamente hacia unos objetivos pero no hacia otros, y con frecuencia se utilizan con flexibilidad no sólo despectivamente para ofender a miembros por fuera de un grupo, sino que también de forma no despectiva para afiliar con miembros dentro de un mismo grupo–, tal literatura sigue centrada en gran medida en las expresiones peyorativas que típicamente apuntan contra los afroamericanos (nigger ‘negro’), los homosexuales varones (fagot ‘maricón’), y las mujeres sexualmente activas (slut ‘zorra’). En tanto que no se ha propuesto al momento dar cuenta de expresiones peyorativas dirigidas contra hispanos o mexicano-americanos, en este trabajo se ofrece el primer análisis sistemático y empíricamente informado de tales expresiones, tanto en sus usos despectivos y de apropiación. Es importante destacar que en este artículo se revisan más de una docena de estereotipos y expresiones peyorativas en español, además de explicar cómo los atributos descriptivos que participan de un estereotipo asociado con una difamación pueden contribuir a la predicación de determinados contenidos en la aplicación de esa expresión hacia su objetivo en contexto. Asimismo, en este artículo se explica cómo comienzan los efectos psicológicos de la amenaza estereotipada y el realce estereotipado cuando se emplea una expresión peyorativa relevante contra un objetivo en contexto.

https://doi.org/10.1515/soprag-2014-0007
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014f
DOI: 10.1515/soprag-2014-0007
Volume: 2
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Spanish slurs and stereotypes for Mexican-Americans in the USA: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriation. Sociocultural Pragmatics, 2, 145-179.
Page Numbers: 145-179
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Sociocultural Pragmatics
Research Interests:
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Embodying martial arts for mental health: Cultivating psychological well-being with martial arts practicemore
by Adam M Croom
The question of what constitutes and facilitates mental health or psychological well-being has remained of great interest to martial artists and philosophers alike, and still endures to this day. Although important questions about... more
The question of what constitutes and facilitates mental health or psychological well-being has remained of great interest to martial artists and philosophers alike, and still endures to this day. Although important questions about well-being remain, it has recently been argued in the literature that a paradigmatic or prototypical case of human psychological well-being would characteristically consist of positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Other scholarship has also recently suggested that martial arts practice may positively promote psychological well-being, although recent studies on martial arts have not yet been reviewed and integrated under the PERMA framework from positive psychology to further explore and explicate this possibility. This article therefore contributes to the literature by reviewing recent work on psychological well-being and martial arts to determine whether there is substantive support for the claim that practicing martial arts can positively contribute to one flourishing with greater psychological well-being.

http://smaes.archbudo.com/view/abstract/id/10740
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014e
Volume: 10
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Embodying martial arts for mental health: Cultivating psychological well-being with martial arts practice. Archives of Budo Science of Martial Arts and Extreme Sports, 10, 59-70.
Page Numbers: 59-70
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Archives of Budo Science of Martial Arts and Extreme Sports
Research Interests:
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Auditory Neuroscience: Making Sense of Soundmore
by Adam M Croom
https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864914523548
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014d
DOI: 10.1177/1029864914523548
Volume: 18
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Auditory Neuroscience: Making Sense of Sound. Musicae Scientiae: The Journal of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, 18, 1-3.
Page Numbers: 249-251
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Musicae Scientiae
Research Interests:
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The semantics of slurs: A refutation of pure expressivismmore
by Adam M Croom
In several recent contributions to the growing literature on slurs, Hedger (2012, 2013) draws upon Kaplan’s (1999) distinction between descriptive and expressive content to argue that slurs are expressions with purely expressive content.... more
In several recent contributions to the growing literature on slurs, Hedger (2012, 2013) draws upon Kaplan’s (1999) distinction between descriptive and expressive content to argue that slurs are expressions with purely expressive content. The distinction between descriptive and expressive content and the view that slurs are expressions with purely expressive content has been widely acknowledged in prior work (e.g., Kaplan, 1999; Kratzer, 1999; Potts, 2003, 2005, 2007; Potts and Kawahara, 2004; Pullum and Rawlins, 2007; Potts et al., 2009), and Hedger (2012, 2013) aims to contribute to this tradition of scholarship by offering novel arguments in support of his ‘‘pure expressivist’’ account of slurs (henceforth PE). But the account that PE offers is explanatorily inadequate, resting on suspect a priori intuitions which also commit one to denying many basic facts about slurs, such as that slurs largely display systematic differential application and that slurs can be used non-offensively between in-group speakers. In this article I provide clear reasons for rejecting PE, arguing particularly against Hedger (2012, 2013) as one of PE’s most explicit and recent proponents. In showing that PE is inadequate in at least 11 ways, I argue in favor of a mixed or hybrid approach.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2013.07.003
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014b
DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2013.07.003
Volume: 41
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). The semantics of slurs: A refutation of pure expressivism. Language Sciences, 41, forthcoming.
Publisher: Elsevier
Journal Name: Language Sciences
Page Numbers: 227-242
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Language Sciences
Research Interests:
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Vindicating virtue: A critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychologymore
by Adam M Croom
This article provides a critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology. It first outlines the details and results from 4 paradigmatic studies in psychology that situationists have heavily drawn upon... more
This article provides a critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology. It first outlines the details and results from 4 paradigmatic studies in psychology that situationists have heavily drawn upon in their critique of the Aristotelian conception of virtuous characteristics, including studies conducted by Hartshorne and May (1928), Darley and Batson (1973), Isen and Levin (1972), and Milgram (1963). It then presents 10 problems with the way situationists have used these studies to challenge Aristotelian moral psychology. After challenging the situationists on these grounds, the article then proceeds to challenge the situationist presentation of the Aristotelian conception, showing that situationists have provided an oversimplified caricature of it that goes against the grain of much Aristotelian text. In evaluating the situationist challenge against the actual results from empirical research as well as primary Aristotelian text, it will be shown that the situationist debate has advanced both an extreme, untenable view about the nature of characteristics and situations, as well as an inaccurate presentation of the Aristotelian view.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-013-9249-8
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014a
DOI: 10.1007/s12124-013-9249-8
Volume: 48
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Vindicating virtue: A critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 48, 18-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12124-013-9249-8
Publisher: Springer
Journal Name: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
Page Numbers: 18-47
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
Research Interests:
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Remarks on "The semantics of racial slurs"more
by Adam M Croom
In “The Semantics of Racial Slurs,” an article recently published in Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, Hedger (2012) draws upon Kaplan’s (1999) distinction between descriptive and expressive content to argue that slurs are... more
In “The Semantics of Racial Slurs,” an article recently published in Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, Hedger (2012) draws upon Kaplan’s (1999) distinction between descriptive and expressive content to argue that slurs are expressions with purely expressive content. Here I review the key considerations presented by Hedger (2012) in support of his purely expressive account of slurs and provide clear reasons for why it must ultimately be rejected. After reviewing the key cases Hedger (2012) offers for consideration in support of his view that slurs are expressions with purely expressive content, this article provides a critical evaluation of these cases, pointing out at least 13 ways in which his purely expressive analysis of slurs fails. In considering the 13 ways in which the purely expressive analysis of slurs remains inadequate, this article concludes with the suggestion that an adequate account of slurs will ultimately involve not only an expressive aspect but a descriptive aspect also.

https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2014c
Volume: 13
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2014). Remarks on "The semantics of racial slurs". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 13, 11-32.
Publisher: Addleton Academic Publishers
Journal Name: Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations
Page Numbers: 11-32
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations
Research Interests:
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How to do things with slurs: Studies in the way of derogatory wordsmore
by Adam M Croom
This article provides an original account of slurs and how they may be differentially used by in-group and out-group speakers. Slurs are first distinguished from other terms and their role in social interaction is discussed. A new... more
This article provides an original account of slurs and how they may be differentially used by in-group and out-group speakers. Slurs are first distinguished from other terms and their role in social interaction is discussed. A new distinction is introduced between three different uses of slurs: the (a) paradigmatic derogatory use, (b) non-paradigmatic derogatory use, and (c) non-derogatory in-group use. I then account for their literal meaning and explain how a family-resemblance conception of category membership can clarify our understanding of the various natural-language uses of slurs, (a)–(c). The focus is restricted primarily to race-based and sex-based slurs used in the context of English speakers, and the article concludes with desiderata to be met by any subsequent analyses of slurs.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2013.03.008
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2013a
DOI: 10.1016/j.langcom.2013.03.008
Volume: 33
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2013). How to do things with slurs: Studies in the way of derogatory words. Language and Communication, 33, 177-204.
Publisher: Elsevier
Journal Name: Language and Communication
Page Numbers: 177-204
Publication Date: 2013
Publication Name: Language and Communication
Research Interests:
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Racial epithets, characterizations, and slursmore
by Adam M Croom
Since at least 2008 linguists and philosophers of language have started paying more serious attention to issues concerning the meaning or use of racial epithets and slurs. In an influential article published in The Journal of Philosophy,... more
Since at least 2008 linguists and philosophers of language have started paying more serious attention to issues concerning the meaning or use of racial epithets and slurs. In an influential article published in The Journal of Philosophy, for instance, Christopher Hom (2008) offered a semantic account of racial epithets called Combinatorial Externalism (CE) that advanced a novel argument for the exclusion of certain epithets from freedom of speech protection under the First Amendment (p. 435). Also in more recent work, “The Expressive Meaning of Racial Epithets: Towards A Non-Unitary Account of Expressive Meaning,” Diane Blakemore (2013) offered an alternative pragmatic account of racial epithets rooted in Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson’s (1986) relevance theory. Adam Croom (2008) has also discussed epithets before in prior work, through a consideration of a paradigmatic racial epithet directed towards Native Americans, but then moved on in subsequent work to focus on developing a more nuanced account of paradigmatic slurring terms instead (Croom 2010; Croom 2011; Croom 2012; Croom 2013; Croom 2014a; Croom 2014b; Croom under review). So the purpose of this article is to return to and extend the previous account of racial epithets provided by Croom (2008) through a consideration of another paradigmatic racial epithet, but this time one directed towards Asian Americans instead of Native Americans. Here I also offer a novel suggestion for how to differentiate between epithets and slurs, offering new insight into how epithets and slurs are both similar and different. A sample list of over 100 other racial epithets that can be accounted for by the kind of analysis presented here is provided in Croom (2008, p. 44-45).

https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2013b
Volume: 12
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2013). Racial epithets, characterizations, and slurs. Analysis and Metaphysics, 12, 11-24.
Page Numbers: 11-24
Publication Date: 2013
Publication Name: Analysis and Metaphysics
Research Interests:
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Music, neuroscience, and the psychology of well-being: A précismore
by Adam M Croom
In Flourish, the positive psychologist Martin Seligman (2011) identifies five commonly recognized factors that are characteristic of human flourishing or wellbeing: (1) “positive emotion,” (2) “relationships,” (3) “engagement,” (4)... more
In Flourish, the positive psychologist Martin Seligman (2011) identifies five commonly recognized factors that are characteristic of human flourishing or wellbeing: (1) “positive emotion,” (2) “relationships,” (3) “engagement,” (4) “achievement,” and (5) “meaning” (p. 24). Although there is no settled set of necessary and sufficient conditions neatly circumscribing the bounds of human flourishing (Seligman, 2011), we would mostly likely consider a person that possessed high levels of these five factors as paradigmatic or prototypical of human flourishing. Accordingly, if we wanted to go about the practical task of actually increasing our level of wellbeing, we ought to do so by focusing on practically increasing the levels of the five factors that are characteristic of wellbeing. If, for instance, an activity such as musical engagement can be shown to positively influence each or all of these five factors, this would be compelling evidence that an activity such as musical engagement can positively contribute to one’s living a flourishing life. I’m of the belief that psychological research can and should be used, not only to identify and diagnose maladaptive psychological states, but identify and promote adaptive psychological states as well. In this article I advance the hypothesis and provide supporting evidence for the claim that musical engagement can positively contribute to one’s living a flourishing life. Since there has not yet been a substantive and up-to-date investigation of the possible role of music in contributing to one’s living a flourishing life, the purpose of this article is to conduct this investigation, thereby bridging the gap and stimulating discussion between the psychology of music and the psychology of wellbeing.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00393
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2012b
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00393
Volume: 2
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2012). Music, neuroscience, and the psychology of well-being: A précis. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 393.
Journal Name: Frontiers in Psychology
Page Numbers: 393
Publication Date: 2012
Publication Name: Frontiers in Psychology
Research Interests:
Neuroscience, Sociology, Psychology, Social Psychology, Emotion, and 41 more
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Aesthetic concepts, perceptual learning, and linguistic enculturation: Considerations from Wittgenstein, language, and musicmore
by Adam M Croom
Aesthetic non-cognitivists deny that aesthetic statements express genuinely aesthetic beliefs and instead hold that they work primarily to express something non-cognitive, such as attitudes of approval or disapproval, or desire.... more
Aesthetic non-cognitivists deny that aesthetic statements express genuinely aesthetic beliefs and instead hold that they work primarily to express something non-cognitive, such as attitudes of approval or disapproval, or desire. Non-cognitivists deny that aesthetic statements express aesthetic beliefs because they deny that there are aesthetic features in the world for aesthetic beliefs to represent. Their assumption, shared by scientists and theorists of mind alike, was that language-users possess cognitive mechanisms with which to objectively grasp abstract rules fixed independently of human responses, and that cognizers are thereby capable of grasping rules for the correct application of aesthetic concepts without relying on evaluation or enculturation. However, in this article I use Wittgenstein’s rule-following considerations to argue that psychological theories grounded upon this so-called objective model of rule-following fail to adequately account for concept acquisition and mastery. I argue that this is because linguistic enculturation, and the perceptual learning that’s often involved, influences and enables the mastery of aesthetic concepts. I argue that part of what’s involved in speaking aesthetically is to belong to a cultural practice of making sense of things aesthetically, and that it’s within a socio-linguistic community, and that community’s practices, that such aesthetic sense can be made intelligible.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-011-9184-5
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2012a
DOI: 10.1007/s12124-011-9184-5
Volume: 46
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2012). Aesthetic concepts, perceptual learning, and linguistic enculturation: Considerations from Wittgenstein, language, and music. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 46, 90-117.
Publisher: Springer
Journal Name: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
Page Numbers: 90-117
Publication Date: 2012
Publication Name: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
Research Interests:
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Slursmore
by Adam M Croom
Slurs possess interesting linguistic properties and so have recently attracted the attention of linguists and philosophers of language. For instance the racial slur "nigger" is explosively derogatory, enough so that just hearing it... more
Slurs possess interesting linguistic properties and so have recently attracted the attention of linguists and philosophers of language. For instance the racial slur "nigger" is explosively derogatory, enough so that just hearing it mentioned can leave one feeling as if they have been made complicit in a morally atrocious act. (Jennifer Hornsby has suggested that slurs might count as “hate speech” and so raise questions “about the compatibility of the regulation of [hate] speech with principles of free speech” (2001, p. 129). Indeed, the very taboo nature of these words makes discussion of them typically prohibited or frowned upon. Although it is true that the utterance of slurs is illegitimate and derogatory in most contexts, sufficient evidence suggests that slurs are not always or exclusively used to derogate. In fact, slurs are frequently picked up and appropriated by the very in-group members that the slur was originally intended to target. This might be done, for instance, as a means for like speakers to strengthen in-group solidarity. So an investigation into the meaning and use of slurs can give us crucial insight into how words can be used with such derogatory impact, and how they can be turned around and appropriated as vehicles of rapport in certain contexts among in-group speakers. In this essay I will argue that slurs are best characterized as being of a mixed descriptive/expressive type. Next, I will review the most influential accounts of slurs offered thus far, explain their shortcomings, then provide a new analysis of slurs and explain in what ways it is superior to others. Finally, I suggest that a family-resemblance conception of category membership can help us achieve a clearer understanding of the various ways in which slurs, for better or worse, are actually put to use in natural language discourse.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2010.11.005
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2011
DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2010.11.005
Volume: 33
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2011). Slurs. Language Sciences, 33, 343-358.
Publisher: Elsevier
Journal Name: Language Sciences
Page Numbers: 343-358
Publication Date: 2011
Publication Name: Language Sciences
Research Interests:
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Thick concepts, non-cognitivism, and Wittgenstein's rule-following considerationsmore
by Adam M Croom
Non-cognitivists claim that thick concepts can be disentangled into distinct descriptive and evaluative components and that since thick concepts have descriptive shape they can be mastered independently of evaluation. In “Non-Cognitivism... more
Non-cognitivists claim that thick concepts can be disentangled into distinct descriptive and evaluative components and that since thick concepts have descriptive shape they can be mastered independently of evaluation. In “Non-Cognitivism and Rule-Following,” John McDowell uses Wittgenstein’s rule-following considerations to show that such a non-cognitivist view is untenable. In this paper I do several things. I describe the non-cognitivist position in its various forms and explain its driving motivations. I then explain McDowell’s argument against non-cognitivism and the Wittgensteinian considerations upon which it relies, because this has been sufficiently misunderstood by critics and rarely articulated by commentators. After clarifying McDowell’s argument against non-cognitivism, I extend the analysis to show that commentators of McDowell have failed to appreciate his argument and that critical responses have been weak. I argue against three challenges posed to McDowell, and show that the case of thick concepts should lead us to reject non-cognitivism.

https://doi.org/10.4314/sajpem.v29i3.59143
https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2010b
DOI: 10.4314/sajpem.v29i3.59143
Volume: 29
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2010). Thick concepts, non-cognitivism, and Wittgenstein's rule-following considerations. South African Journal of Philosophy, 29, 286-309.
Publisher: Routledge
Journal Name: South African Journal of Philosophy
Page Numbers: 286-309
Publication Date: 2010
Publication Name: South African Journal of Philosophy
Research Interests:
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Wittgenstein, Kripke, and the rule following paradoxmore
by Adam M Croom
In §201 of Philosophical Investigations, Ludwig Wittgenstein puts forwards his famous “rule-following paradox.” The paradox is: how can one follow in accord with a rule – the applications of which are potentially infinite – when the... more
In §201 of Philosophical Investigations, Ludwig Wittgenstein puts forwards his famous “rule-following paradox.” The paradox is: how can one follow in accord with a rule – the applications of which are potentially infinite – when the instances from which one learns the rule and the instances in which one displays that they have learned the rule are only finite? How can one be certain of rule-following at all? In “Wittgenstein: On Rules and Private Language,” Saul Kripke concedes the skeptical position that there are no facts that we follow a rule, but that there are still conditions under which we are warranted in asserting of others that they are following a rule. In this paper, I explain why Kripke’s solution to the rule following paradox fails. I then offer an alternative.

https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2010a
Volume: 52
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2010). Wittgenstein, Kripke, and the rule following paradox. Dialogue, 52, 103-109.
Publisher: Phi Sigma Tau: International Honor Society in Philosophy
Journal Name: Dialogue
Page Numbers: 103-109
Publication Date: 2010
Publication Name: Dialogue
Research Interests:
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Racial epithets: What we say and mean by themmore
by Adam M Croom
An epithet is “a term used to characterize a person or thing,” and a racial epithet is a term used to characterize people on the basis of their race. Uses of racial epithets are language acts that are usually harmful to the people that... more
An epithet is “a term used to characterize a person or thing,” and a racial epithet is a term used to characterize people on the basis of their race. Uses of racial epithets are language acts that are usually harmful to the people that they target. But what do racial epithets mean, and why are they harmful? In general, how do they do what they do? The purpose of this essay is to sketch an answer to these questions by providing an analysis of racial epithets. In doing so, I will draw on the tools provided by Elisabeth Camp in her analysis of metaphor, since Camp’s analysis of metaphor is, in my view, the proper lens through which to understand racial epithets. Lastly, since I provide a pragmatic view of racial epithets, I’ll contrast my position with Christopher Hom’s semantic view.

https://doctorcroom.com/croom-2008
Volume: 51
More Info: Croom, A. M. (2008). Racial epithets: What we say and mean by them. Dialogue, 51, 34-45.
Publisher: Phi Sigma Tau: International Honor Society in Philosophy
Journal Name: Dialogue
Page Numbers: 34-45
Publication Date: 2008
Publication Name: Dialogue
Research Interests:
Languages, Philosophy, Philosophy Of Language, Languages and Linguistics, Pragmatics, and 41 more
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Lectures on YouTube
Intro to Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley - Lecture 1 on YouTube [May 24 2022]more
by Adam M Croom
https://youtu.be/kFYagKdrPaI
Research Interests:
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Citations
Dr. Adam M. Croom citationsmore
by Adam M Croom
Adam M. Croom, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University. Publications: 28 | Citations: 1,668 | h-index: 17 | i10-index: 20 | https://x.com/adammcroom | |... more
Adam M. Croom, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University. Publications: 28 | Citations: 1,668 | h-index: 17 | i10-index: 20
| https://x.com/adammcroom |
| https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9541-684X |
| https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jEGe8qAAAAAJ |
| https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353980247_Dr_Adam_M_Croom_citations |
Research Interests:
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Syllabi
COGS 301: Slurs and Stereotypes (Syllabus, Spring 2024, CWRU)more
by Adam M Croom
Slurs are generally considered the most offensive terms in a language, but how do slurs communicate the negative content or force that they generally do? How do slurs differ from words of other kinds, and how does the use of slurs impact... more
Slurs are generally considered the most offensive terms in a language, but how do slurs communicate the negative content or force that they generally do? How do slurs differ from words of other kinds, and how does the use of slurs impact the cognition, emotion, and social status of users and targets? Given that slurs are generally used for negative purposes to dehumanize targets, are attempts at reappropriating slurs ever successful? In this course, we’ll investigate the fascinating yet dangerous power of words and their relation to social identity, social status, and varying contexts of language use. We’ll also investigate the relationship between slurs and stereotypes to examine how slurs draw upon and impact the negative and positive stereotypes of those that they typically target. Throughout this course, we will survey a variety of slurs that target members of different groups, consider how the attributes of language-users and different contexts of communication can influence the interpretation of slurs as being more or less offensive, as well as investigate possible methods for mitigating the harmful impact of slurs and stereotypes in society. Students in this course will read an interdisciplinary collection of original research articles on slurs and stereotypes from the contemporary literature (1996-2024), practice using Gorilla Experiment Builder to create an original Implicit Association Test (IAT) of their own, and prepare an original research-based presentation about a topic that is of greatest interest to them from this course.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11916.08325
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COGS 102: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (Syllabus, Spring 2024, CWRU)more
by Adam M Croom
A survey of the fundamental methods, findings, and theories that attempt to understand the human mind from a neuroscientific standpoint. The course provides the student with background knowledge of brain processes underlying such... more
A survey of the fundamental methods, findings, and theories that attempt to understand the human mind from a neuroscientific standpoint. The course provides the student with background knowledge of brain processes underlying such psychological phenomena as consciousness, sensation, perception, thought, language, and voluntary action. Since many fields of neuroscience have contributed to cognitive neuroscience, the approach of this course is cross-disciplinary. It introduces theories and data from clinical and experimental neuropsychology, brain imaging, neuroelectric and neuromagnetic brain activity, the neuroscience of language, and behavioral neuroscience, among other fields.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33726.46401
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PSYC 205: Statistics in Psychology I (Bethany College, Fall 2023, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
PSYC 205: Statistics in Psychology I (Bethany College, Fall 2023, Syllabus)
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PSYC 312: Experimental Methods in Cognitive Psychology (Bethany College, Fall 2023, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
PSYC 312: Experimental Methods in Cognitive Psychology (Bethany College, Fall 2023, Syllabus)
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COGSCI 146 001: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Berkeley, Summer 2023D, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGSCI 146 001: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Berkeley, Summer 2023D, Syllabus)
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COGSCI N1 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Berkeley, Summer 2023D, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGSCI N1 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Berkeley, Summer 2023D, Syllabus)
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COGSCI 190 002: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Berkeley, Fall 2022, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGSCI 190 002: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Berkeley, Fall 2022, Syllabus)
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COGSCI N1 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Berkeley, Summer 2022A, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGSCI N1 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Berkeley, Summer 2022A, Syllabus)
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COGSCI 190 004: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Berkeley, Summer 2022D, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGSCI 190 004: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Berkeley, Summer 2022D, Syllabus)
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COGS 180 01: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180 01: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 180 01: Syntax (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180 01: Syntax (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)
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COGS 180 02: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180 02: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)
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SPRK 001 26: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
SPRK 001 26: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Spring 2022, Syllabus)
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COGS 149 01: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 149-01: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 180: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)
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SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 180 03: Mathematical Cognition (UC Merced, Summer 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180 03: Mathematical Cognition (UC Merced, Summer 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 180 04: Sign Language Science (UC Merced, Summer 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180 04: Sign Language Science (UC Merced, Summer 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Fall 2021, Syllabus)
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SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 005: Introduction to Language and Linguistics (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 005: Introduction to Language and Linguistics (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)
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COGS 180: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180: Slurs and Stereotypes (UC Merced, Spring 2021, Syllabus)
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UC Merced Cognitive Science Class Schedule (Spring 2021)more
by Adam M Croom
For the Spring 2021 Semester at UC Merced I'm teaching COGS 180: Slurs and Stereotypes, COGS 005: Intro to Language and Linguistics, and SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age.
Research Interests:
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SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Fall 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (UC Merced, Fall 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 001: Introduction to Cognitive Science (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 005: Introduction to Language and Linguistics (UC Merced, Spring 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 005: Introduction to Language and Linguistics (UC Merced, Spring 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 105: Research Methods in Cognitive Science (UC Merced, Spring 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 105: Research Methods in Cognitive Science (UC Merced, Spring 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 180: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Fall 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180: Embodied Approaches to Mind and Language (UC Merced, Fall 2020, Syllabus)
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COGS 180: Linguistic Data Analysis with R (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)more
by Adam M Croom
COGS 180: Linguistic Data Analysis with R (UC Merced, Summer 2020, Syllabus)
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UC Merced Spark Seminar Class Schedule (Fall 2020)more
by Adam M Croom
For the Fall 2020 Semester at UC Merced I'm teaching SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (freshman seminar), COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition, and COGS 180: Embodied Mind and Language.
Research Interests:
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UC Merced Cognitive Science Class Schedule (Fall 2020)more
by Adam M Croom
For the Fall 2020 Semester at UC Merced I'm teaching SPRK 001: The Machine Learning Age (freshman seminar), COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition, and COGS 180: Embodied Mind and Language.
Publication Date: 2020
Research Interests:
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UC Merced Cognitive Science Class Schedule (Summer 2020)more
by Adam M Croom
For the Summer 2020 Semester at UC Merced I'm teaching COGS 001: Intro to Cognitive Science, COGS 149: Music, Language, and Cognition, and COGS 180: Linguistic Data Analysis with R.
Publication Date: 2020
Research Interests:
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UC Merced Cognitive Science Class Schedule (Spring 2020)more
by Adam M Croom
For the Spring 2020 Semester at UC Merced I'm teaching COGS 005: Intro to Language and Linguistics and COGS 105: Research Methods in Cognitive Science.
Publication Date: 2020
Research Interests:
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My Work in College Coursesmore
by Adam M Croom
My published work has been assigned reading in dozens of college courses around the world including UC Merced, Yale University, Rutgers University, Bronx Community College, DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Dominican School of Philosophy... more
My published work has been assigned reading in dozens of college courses around the world including UC Merced, Yale University, Rutgers University, Bronx Community College, DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Federal University of Santa Maria, George Brown College, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, John F. Kennedy University, National University of the Littoral, Royal Holloway University of London, Rutgers University, Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, University of Buenos Aires, University of Calgary, University of Central Oklahoma, University of East Anglia, University of Hamburg, University of Oslo, and University of Toronto Mississauga.

https://doctorcroom.com/my-work-in-college-courses
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Teaching Evaluations
Student comments from teaching evaluationsmore
by Adam M Croom
Student comments about cognitive science courses I've taught at Case Western Reserve University, UC Merced, and UC Berkeley
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Letters of recommendation from my studentsmore
by Adam M Croom
Letters of recommendation and course evaluations from my students are available for perusal on my website: https://doctorcroom.com/teaching-evaluations
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Course evaluations from my studentsmore
by Adam M Croom
Course evaluations and letters of recommendation are available for perusal on my website: https://doctorcroom.com/teaching-evaluations
Research Interests:
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Peer Review
Dr. Adam M. Croom Publons verified peer-reviewsmore
by Adam M Croom
I have peer-reviewed 145 submissions for 88 scholarly journals and received the Top Peer Reviewer in the Arts and Humanities Award from Publons [updated June 7, 2022]. https://publons.com/researcher/195705/adam-m-croom/peer-review.... more
I have peer-reviewed 145 submissions for 88 scholarly journals and received the Top Peer Reviewer in the Arts and Humanities Award from Publons [updated June 7, 2022]. https://publons.com/researcher/195705/adam-m-croom/peer-review.

Acta Analytica: International Periodical for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition
Acta Paediatrica
Action Research
Advances in Health Sciences Education
Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing
Armed Forces and Society
Atlantic Journal of Communication
Axiomathes: Where Science Meets Philosophy
Basic and Applied Social Psychology
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
BJPsych Bulletin
BMC Psychology
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Cognition: International Journal of Cognitive Science
Constellations: An International Journal of Critical and Democratic Theory
Counselling Psychology Quarterly
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Current Research in Physiology
Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review
Diametros: An Online Journal of Philosophy
Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy
Erkenntnis: An International Journal of Scientific Philosophy
Ethos: Journal of the Society for Psychological Anthropology
Experimental Aging Research
Frontiers in Psychology
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations
Health Psychology Open
Howard Journal of Communication
Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy
Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power
Information Design Journal
Intercultural Pragmatics
International Journal of Intercultural Relations
International Journal of Multilingualism
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
International Journal of Strategic Communication
International Journal of Wellbeing
International Sociology
ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Journal of Adolescent Research
Journal of Advanced Academics
Journal of Applied Social Science
Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society
Journal of Child Language
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
Journal of Cognition and Culture
Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence
Journal of General Psychology
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
Journal of Moral Education
Journal of Music and Meaning
Journal of Pragmatics: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Language Studies
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Journal of the American Philosophical Association
Journal of Youth and Theology
Language Matters: Studies in the Languages of Africa
Mass Communication and Society
Media, War, and Conflict
Mental Health, Religion, and Culture
Military Psychology
Mind and Language
Musicae Scientiae: The Journal of the European Society for the Cognitive Science of Music
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
Omega: Journal of Death and Dying
Organon F: International Journal of Analytic Philosophy
Pacific Philosophical Quarterly
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
Philosophical Psychology
Philosophical Studies
Political Psychology: Journal of the International Society for Political Psychology
Pragmatics and Society
Psychology of Music
Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches
SAGE Open
School Psychology International
Science and Education
Society and Animals
South African Journal of Philosophy
Southern Journal of Philosophy
Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Synthese: An International Journal for Epistemology, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science
Thought: A Journal of Philosophy
Timing and Time Perception
Visual Studies
Western Journal of Communication
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Cognition reviewers acknowledgmentmore
by Adam M Croom
I have peer reviewed submissions for Cognition.
Research Interests:
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Language Sciences reviewers acknowledgementmore
by Adam M Croom
I have peer reviewed submissions for Language Sciences.
More Info: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0388000111001318 Cited here.
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Data in Brief editorial boardmore
by Adam M Croom
I am on the editorial board for Data in Brief.
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Evaluations
Publons Average Length of Peer Review for Adam M. Croommore
by Adam M Croom
On average I return peer-review reports of 800 words in length. This is 160% more feedback than reviewers provided from the University of Pennsylvania and 200% more feedback than reviewers provided from all institutions. So far I have... more
On average I return peer-review reports of 800 words in length. This is 160% more feedback than reviewers provided from the University of Pennsylvania and 200% more feedback than reviewers provided from all institutions. So far I have peer-reviewed at least 37 submissions and at 800 words on average per report, I have provided at least 29,600 words worth of constructive feedback to help scholars improve the quality of their work. My peer-review assignments are typically returned within 1 to 60 days.
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Endorsements for Slurs: A forthcoming book by Adam M. Croommore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: I'm honored to have such great support for my forthcoming book from my exemplary colleagues. Thank you Dr. Gordana Čupković for this.
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Is the use of racial slurs really just black and white?more
by Adam M Croom
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Reviewer comments on "Vindicating virtue: A critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology" more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: I'm honored to have such great support from my exemplary colleagues. Thank you Dr. Sergio Salvatore for this.
Publication Date: 2013
Publication Name: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
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Joseph's lettermore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Much thanks to my little brother for this.
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Awards
Ampersand editor's choice articlemore
by Adam M Croom
The Editors of Ampersand have selected six articles which display the strength and depth of contributions to the journal. This selection includes my (2015) article "The semantics of slurs: A refutation of coreferentialism".
Publication Date: 2018
Publication Name: Ampersand
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Journal of Pragmatics outstanding reviewer awardmore
by Adam M Croom
I was awarded this recognition from Journal of Pragmatics for being within the top 10th percentile of reviewers for the Journal.
Publication Date: 2018
Publication Name: Journal of Pragmatics
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Sentinel of Science outstanding reviewer awardmore
by Adam M Croom
The Publons Board, in accordance with the recommendation of the CEO hereby recognize Adam M. Croom as one of the top 10 percent of researchers contributing the the peer-review of the field of Arts and Humanities. The Sentinels of Science... more
The Publons Board, in accordance with the recommendation of the CEO hereby recognize Adam M. Croom as one of the top 10 percent of researchers contributing the the peer-review of the field of Arts and Humanities. The Sentinels of Science awards honor the elite contributors to scholarly peer review and editorial pursuits internationally. Recipients have demonstrated an outstanding expert commitment to protecting the integrity and accuracy of published research in their field.
Publication Date: 2016
Publication Name: Publons
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Talks
Slurs, insults, and threats in the campaign for status: Yanomamo and urban- American cultural contextsmore
by Adam M Croom
Much of the literature on language has focused on its use to describe matters of fact or to express subjective evaluations. Although humans certainly do use language in these ways – in the sciences and arts, for example – it is important... more
Much of the literature on language has focused on its use to describe matters of fact or to express subjective evaluations. Although humans certainly do use language in these ways – in the sciences and arts, for example – it is important to remain cognizant of the fact that humans do more than simply report facts and convey emotions to each other, they also battle one another for social status and interpersonal power, and this is reflected not only in their physical behavior but in their linguistic behavior also. The purpose of this article is therefore to draw upon ethnographic research on two significant yet distinct cultures – the Yanomamo and urban-American cultures – in order to explain the important role that slurs, insults, and threats play in the campaign for status and power, as well as how status and power benefit those that are able to acquire it through physical or linguistic means.
Journal Name: 6th Nitra Conference on Discourse Studies
Publication Date: 2015
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Vindicating Virtue: A Critical Analysis of the Situationist Challenge Against Aristotelian Moral Psychologymore
by Adam M Croom
This article provides a critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology. It first outlines the details and results from four paradigmatic studies in psychology that situationists have heavily drawn... more
This article provides a critical analysis of the situationist challenge against Aristotelian moral psychology. It first outlines the details and results from four paradigmatic studies in psychology that situationists have heavily drawn upon in their critique of the Aristotelian conception of virtuous characteristics, including studies conducted by Hartshorne and May (1928), Darley and Batson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 27:100-108, 1973), Isen and Levin (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 21:384-388, 1972), and Milgram (Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 67:371-378, 1963). It then presents ten problems with the way situationists have used these studies to challenge Aristotelian moral psychology. After challenging the situationists on these grounds, the article then proceeds to challenge the situationist presentation of the Aristotelian conception, showing that situationists have provided an oversimplified caricature of it that goes against the grain of much Aristotelian text. In evaluating the situationist challenge against the actual results from empirical research as well as primary Aristotelian text, it will be shown that the situationist debate has advanced both an extreme, untenable view about the nature of characteristics and situations, as well as an inaccurate presentation of the Aristotelian view.
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Positive Psychology Center Symposium
Event Date: Jan 18, 2013
Face, Race, and the Psychology of Slurring in a Cultural Contextmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism Annual Conference
Event Date: Apr 27, 2012
The Evolutionary Origins of Music: Harmonizing Biology and Culture Through Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Synchronizationmore
by Adam M Croom
Musical activity is universal among the human species, and musical instruments over 35,000 years old have been found suggesting that the human preoccupation with music has been an enduring one. But why do humans continually and... more
Musical activity is universal among the human species, and musical instruments over 35,000 years old have been found suggesting that the human preoccupation with music has been an enduring one. But why do humans continually and universally practice music? Darwin also puzzled over this, remarking that, “As neither the enjoyment nor the capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least direct use to man in reference to his ordinary life, they must be ranked amongst the most mysterious with which he is endowed” (1871, p. 355). Here I take up Darwin’s concern for music and offer a new theory of its origins. My interdisciplinary approach aims to harmonize biological and cultural considerations by discussing how music functions for both intrapersonal and interpersonal synchronization.
Time: 9 AM to 5 PM
Event Date: Mar 23, 2012
Organization: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Andrew W. Mellon Fellows of the Penn Humanities Forum)
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Music, Dance, and Civic Engagementmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Society for Ethnomusicology and Congress on Research in Dance Pre-Conference Symposium
Event Date: Nov 16, 2011
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Music, Neuroscience, and the Psychology of Wellbeingmore
by Adam M Croom
Time: 2 PM to 5 PM
Event Date: Sep 6, 2011
Conference End Date: Sep 6, 2011
Conference Start Date: Sep 6, 2011
Evolutionary Theories of Musical Behavior and Cognitionmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Institute for Research in Cognitive Science and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
Event Date: Jun 11, 2010
Slurs and Semantic Typesmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: University Of Pennsylvania Philosophy
Conference End Date: Apr 30, 2010
Conference Start Date: Apr 29, 2010
Wittgenstein, Kripke, and the Rule Following Paradoxmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: SUNY Oneonta’s Fifteenth Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, State University of New York at Oneonta (NY)
Conference End Date: Apr 17, 2010
Conference Start Date: Apr 15, 2010
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Language and Theory of Mindmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Southern California Undergraduate Linguistics Colloquium, University of California at Los Angeles (CA)
Event Date: Apr 10, 2010
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Thick Concepts and Non-Cognitivismmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Fifth Annual Graduate Philosophy Conference: “Arts, Ethics and Democracy,” West Chester University (PA)
Event Date: Jan 23, 2010
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Wittgenstein, Kripke, and the Rule Following Paradoxmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: University of Delaware Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, University of Delaware (DE)
Event Date: Nov 7, 2009
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Racial Epithets: What We Say and Mean by Themmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Eighth Annual Steven Humphrey Student Philosophy Colloquium, University of Louisville (KY)
Event Date: Nov 14, 2008
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Racial Epithets: What We Say and Mean by Themmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Third Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (IL)
Conference End Date: Oct 25, 2008
Conference Start Date: Oct 24, 2008
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Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Mathematicsmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: Fourth Annual Undergraduate Philosophy and Religious Studies Conference, California State University at Bakersfield (CA)
Event Date: Apr 26, 2008
Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Mathematicsmore
by Adam M Croom
Location: First Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, Rowan University (NJ)
Event Date: Apr 18, 2008
A Game Theoretical Analysis of Slurs and Appropriative Usemore
by Adam M Croom
Location: 4th North American Summer School in Logic, Language, and Information
Event Date: Jun 26, 2010
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Other
Associate Editor for Frontiers in Social Psychologymore
by Adam M Croom
Today I was promoted to Associate Editor for Frontiers in Social Psychology! A CFP for a new Research Topic will be launched soon so stay tuned!
Publication Date: 2023
Publication Name: Frontiers in Social Psychology
Research Interests:
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2011-2012 Andrew W Mellon Fellows of the Penn Humanities Forum on Adaptationsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.phf.upenn.edu/11-12/fellows/list.shtml Listed here.
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University of Pennsylvania Auditory Research Lab list of faculty and studentsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.med.upenn.edu/auditoryresearchlab/people.shtml Listed here. Fun fact: Hermann von Helmholtz and Wilhelm Wundt are two of the lab's notable alumni.
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Columbia University Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab list of labmatesmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.columbia.edu/~ah2240/ http://www.dogcognition.com Listed here.
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Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism 2011-2012 grant recipientsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/dcc/index.html Listed here.
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California State University Bakersfield Philosophy and Religious Studies Conference 2008 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.csub.edu/philosophyrs/undergrad-conference.shtml Presented here.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Philosophy Conference 2008 postermore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/philosophy/upc/thirdannual_upc.shtml Presented here.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Philosophy Conference 2008 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/philosophy/upc/thirdannual_upc.shtml Presented here.
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University of Louisville Philosophy Colloquium 2008 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://louisville.edu/philosophy/ugreshumphrey.html Presented here.
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University of Delaware Philosophy Conference 2009 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.udel.edu/Philosophy/content/events/nortonpast.htm Presented here.
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West Chester University Philosophy Conference 2010 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://iws.wcupa.edu/phi-club/conferences.html Presented here.
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State University of New York Oneonta Philosophy Conference 2010 abstractsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://organizations.oneonta.edu/philosc/abstracts10.html Presented here.
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State University of New York Oneonta Philosophy Conference 2010 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://organizations.oneonta.edu/philosc/program10.html Presented here.
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Southern California Undergraduate Linguistics Conference 2010 abstractsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://bruinling.org/sculc/files/sculc2010-abstracts.pdf Presented here.
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Southern California Undergraduate Linguistics Conference 2010 program 2more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://bruinling.org/sculc/files/sculc2010-program.pdf Presented here.
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Southern California Undergraduate Linguistics Conference 2010 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://bruinling.org/sculc/program.php Presented here.
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North American Summer School in Logic, Language, and Information 2010 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.indiana.edu/~nasslli/ Presented here.
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University of Pennsylvania Humanities Forum Research Conference 2012 programmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.phf.upenn.edu/11-12/uhf/conf_12.shtml Presented here.
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Dialogue April 2010more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Phi Sigma Tau. (2010). Dialogue April 2010. Phi Sigma Tau International Honor Society Newsletter, 129, 2. http://phi-sigma-tau.org/documents/NUSLET29EM.pdf Cited here.
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Music at Redlands College: 4 good reasons to enrol your child in music lessonsmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Cited here.
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SIUE philosophy conference grows larger each yearmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Danley, J. (2009). SIUE philosophy conference grows larger each year. Arts and Sciences Today: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter, February. http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/newsletter/jan09/philosophyconf.shtml Cited here.
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Sticks and stonesmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Simmons, L. (2012). Sticks and stones. The AS Review: Associated Students of Western Washington University, 21 February. http://www.as.wwu.edu/asreview/sticks-and-stones/ Cited here.
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Boomer? Midlifer? Can't we find a better name for ourselves?more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Heyser, E. (2012). Boomer? Midlifer? Can’t we find a better name for ourselves? PBS: Next Avenue, 9 May. http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2012-05/boomer-midlifer-cant-we-find-better-name-ourselves Cited here.
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Upheavals and adjustments: New Penn Humanities Forum programming explores the topic of adaptationmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: "Ratneshwar, P. (2011). Upheavals and adjustments: New Penn Humanities Forum programming explores the topic of adaptation. SAS Frontiers: Research and Scholarship in the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, July. Cited here."
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Stance staff 2010more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/virtualpress/stance/2010_spring/ Cited here.
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Stance staff 2011more
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/virtualpress/stance/2011_spring/ Cited here.
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Editors and volunteers for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophymore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://www.iep.utm.edu/eds/ Cited here.
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Language Sciences Top 25 Hottest Articles of the Year 2011 by ScienceDirectmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: http://top25.sciencedirect.com/journal/03880001?utm_source=ESJ001&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&bid=7SX6E5F:DD7B63F Cited here.
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Summer internships at ARImore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Ayn Rand Institute. (2009). Summer internships at ARI. Impact: Newsletter of the Ayn Rand Institute, 15, 3. http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index Interviewed here.
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Dehumanizing others through racial slurs: Interview with Adam Croom by Janet Cameronmore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: (2012). Dehumanizing others through racial slurs: Interview with Adam Croom by Janet Cameron. Decoded Science: Science News, Information, and Research, 15 February. http://www.decodedscience.com/dehumanizing-others-through-racial-slurs-interview-with-adam-croom/10588
Research Interests:
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Musica, neuroscienza e psicologia del benessere: una sintesimore
by Adam M Croom
More Info: Italian translation of my article "Music, neuroscience, and the psychology of wellbeing: A précis" by Gloria Gibi.
Publication Name: Frontiers in Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 2, 393.
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CALL FOR PAPERS: Music and the embodied mind: A jam session for theorists on musical improvisation, instrumental self-extension, and the biological and social basis of music and well-beingmore
by Adam M Croom
Research Interests:
Evolutionary Biology, Sociology, Social Theory, Cognitive Science, Positive Psychology, and 165 more
CALL FOR PAPERS: SLURSmore
by Adam M Croom
Language Sciences Special Issue Call-for-Papers on Slurs Slurs have long been considered among the most controversial of all linguistic expressions, yet it is only recently that they have started drawing serious scholarly attention.... more
Language Sciences
Special Issue Call-for-Papers on Slurs

Slurs have long been considered among the most controversial of all linguistic expressions, yet it is only recently that they have started drawing serious scholarly attention. For at least the last 6 years though both empirical and theoretical articles on slurs from diverse disciplines have been published in a wide range of top academic journals (e.g., in Psychological Science, Language Sciences, Language and Communication, Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, Symbolic Interaction, Journal of Philosophy, Analytic Philosophy, and Nous) and have been published for readers of different languages from around the world (e.g., in English, German, Italian, and Vietnamese). Yet the study of slurs is still in a nascent stage, so the timing is especially opportune now for careful and systematic work on slurs to be carried out. A major goal for this special issue then will be to take a substantive step forward in clarifying the controversial nature of slurs and the particularly sensitive place they hold in our linguistic and larger social life.

Accordingly, this special issue of Language Sciences aims to achieve greater clarity on slurs by bringing together an interdisciplinary collection of new articles of the highest caliber on the topic. With this aim in mind, scholars of any discipline conducting research on slurs are warmly encouraged to submit novel theoretical or philosophical articles, comprehensive review articles, as well as articles showcasing original empirical research. Submissions relevant for this special issue may address, for example, any of the following topics: the semantics or pragmatics of slurs; game-theoretical analyses of slurs; the use of slurs for the negotiation of social identity and power; analyses of slurs as stigmatizing labels and the prohibitions concerning their use; the re-appropriation of slurs and their non-derogatory use; the relationship between slurs, perspectives, and stereotypes; analyses of slurs in the context of inferentialist and referentialist philosophies of language; analyses of slurs in the context of computational and grounded theories of cognition; the cognitive-emotional processing of slurs; and methodological concerns regarding the future study of slurs. Submissions focusing on other aspects of slurs or utilizing alternative methodologies will also be carefully considered by the Editor.

This special issue will be widely promoted and circulated by Elsevier and will further feature at least one freely available Open Access article on slurs for all to read, download, and share. For submission inquiries and more info on this special issue of Language Sciences please contact the Editor.

Submission Deadline: 26 May 2014

Editor
Adam M. Croom
University of Pennsylvania
Publication Name: Language Sciences
Research Interests:
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Thesis Chapters
Slurs: The Semantics, Pragmatics, and Cognition of Derogation and Appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
Slurs: The Semantics, Pragmatics, and Cognition of Derogation and Appropriation (Ph.D. thesis, 2020)
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21269.81124
Publication Date: 2020
Research Interests:
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Papers
Spanish slurs and stereotypes for Mexican-Americans in the USA: A context-sensitive account of derogation and appropriationmore
by Adam M Croom
Slurs such as spic, slut, wetback, and whore are linguistic expressions that are primarily understood to derogate certain group members on the basis of their descriptive attributes (such as their race or sex) and expressions of this kind... more
Slurs such as spic, slut, wetback, and whore are linguistic expressions that are primarily understood to derogate certain group members on the basis of their descriptive attributes (such as their race or sex) and expressions of this kind have been considered to pack some of the nastiest punches natural language affords. Although prior scholarship on slurs has uncovered several important facts concerning their meaning and use –including that slurs are potentially offensive, are felicitously applied towards some targets yet not others, and are often flexibly used not only derogatorily to convey offense towards out-group members but also non-derogatorily to convey affiliation with in-group members– the literature remains largely focused on slurs that typically target African Americans (nigger), male homosexuals (faggot), and sexually active females (slut). Since no account of slurs that typically target Hispanics or Mexican-Americans has so far been proposed, here I offer the first sys...
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Pragmática Sociocultural / Sociocultural Pragmatics
Research Interests:
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Some Equalities Are More Equal Than Others: Quality Equality Emerges Later Than Numerical Equalitymore
by Adam M Croom
By age 6, children typically share an equal number of resources between themselves and others. However, fairness involves not merely that each person receive an equal number of resources ("numerical equality") but also that each... more
By age 6, children typically share an equal number of resources between themselves and others. However, fairness involves not merely that each person receive an equal number of resources ("numerical equality") but also that each person receive equal quality resources ("quality equality"). In Study 1, children (N = 87, 3-10 years) typically split four resources "two each" by age 6, but typically monopolized the better two resources until age 10. In Study 2, a new group of 6- to 8-year-olds (N = 32) allocated resources to third parties according to quality equality, indicating that children in this age group understand that fairness requires both types of equality.
Publication Date: Jan 3, 2016
Publication Name: Child development
Research Interests:
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Job Listings
JOB LISTING: Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Bethany College (West Virginia)more
by Adam M Croom
We're hiring a full-time Visiting Assistant Professor! This may be converted to a Tenure-Track position based on fit and performance. Psychology is the largest major at Bethany and the ideal fit will help us cover clinical and health... more
We're hiring a full-time Visiting Assistant Professor! This may be converted to a Tenure-Track position based on fit and performance. Psychology is the largest major at Bethany and the ideal fit will help us cover clinical and health psych, stats, research methods. Email for info!

Apply on HigherEdJobs: https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178445940&Title=Psychology%20Faculty
Research Interests:
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